Body bolster



J. A. LAMoNT Sept. 3, 1935.

BODY BOLSTER Filed Aug. 7, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 fallar/QU By f firm 4%5196 '.5 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. A. LAMONT Sept. 3, 1935.

BODY BOLSTER Filed Aug. '7, 1931 J. A. LAMONT Sept. .3, 1935.

BODY BOLSTER Filed Aug. 7, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Sept. 3, 1935 BODY BOLSTER John A. Lamont, Chica go, Ill., assigner to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 7, 1931, serial No. 555,661 i "12 claims.` (o1. 10s-406) The present v,invention relates to railway cars, and more in particular to the construction` of heavy capacity `cars. of. the type in which the bolsteris entirely within the car body.

` Among theobjects ofy the present invention is to provide a bolsterof novel construction for a car body, adapted to-'withstand andresist unsymmetrical loading, local bending and crushing or other stresses andstrains to which the same may be subjected. f Heretofore, it has `been the practice to provide a heavy capacity railway car with an inside bolster consisting of two trusses integrally united at the center by a portion of rectangular shape restingiover the center` sill of car. This type of bolster has `not proven successful in resisting unsymmetrical loading, such as occurs whenthe car body is subjected to a rocking action, dur- Y ing which movement the load is taken alternately on one or the other of the side bearings. The` concentration of load over the relatively narrow center sill also makes it necessary to introduce a new and different structure at the central portion of the bolster better local bending and crushing.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to eliminate the objectionable features of the old type bolster construction and to` provide a novel bolster structure adapted to meetall the requirements of service, yet of. simple design and adapted to usual foundry methods of molding.v

In the embodiments vselected to illustrate the invention, the bolster is shown as comprising a i `member of truss formation having a central boxlike or double web section including certain of the struts of the structure as elements thereof. A

`box-like section at the central portion of the bolster andover thecenter sill, whether or not the section be rectangular or `triangular inform,

has been` found tot `provide a construction very well adapted to withstand those loadingsto which the` same may be subjected.

The invention contemplates .l the idea of proi viding a one-pieceinside bolster construction including a central box-like or double web section and integral wing plates extending therefrom.`

Another object of the invention is` to provide an inside bolsterfor car bodies comprising a .member` of truss formation with acentral boxlike` or double'web section and having wing memj bers extending therefrom whose inner marginal i portions lare in i member. i i

` A stilllfurther object of` the invention is to provide an inside bolster includinga central boxalignmentiwith strutsk of the to withstand or resist Figure 1 of the drawings;

planes represented by lines H -IIof Figure 10 of the drawings; l Y

A.idea of providing an inside bolster of truss forma- 5 tion having struts terminating and mergingat a common point adjacent the side `bearings provided on the bolster, and irrespective of whether or not certain of these struts are in alignment with the inner marginal portions of wing members extending from the bolster.

With these and various other objects in View, the invention may consist oi certain novel fea- Y tures of construction and operation aswillY be more fully described and particularly pointedout in the specication, drawings` and claimsappended hereto. v

l In` the drawings, which illustrate an yembodiment of therdevice and wherein like reference characters are `used to designate like parts;-

Figure l is a view in vertical cross-section taken` through a car body disclosing in side elevation an embodiment of the present novel bolster; c

Figure 2 is a fragmentary View in side elevation of the car body of Figure land adjacent Y plane represented by line 3-3of Figure 1 of the drawings;

Figure 4 is a View partly in cross-section and. .30 partly in elevation and taken in a plane repriesented by line 4--4 of Figure 1 ofthe drawings;

Figure 5 is a view in cross-section taken in the plane represented by line 5 5 of Figure 1 of the drawings; o i .35

Figure 6 is a view in cross-section taken in a plane represented by line 6-6 of Figure l of the drawings; .Y f

Figure '7 is a fragmentary bottom plan view` of the inside` bolster disclosed in Figure 1 of the 40 drawings; l

Figure 8 is a view in cross-section taken through a car body and disclosing in. sideelevationva modication of theinside bolster disclosed in i Figure 9 is a view in cross-section taken ina plane represented by line 9 9 of Figure 8 of the drawings;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary View in cross-section taken through a car body and disclosing in side-,50 elevation another modification of the bolster of the present invention; i

Figure 11 is a view in cross section taken in the Figure 12 is a fragmentary view in crossnsection taken through a car body and disclosing in side elevation a still further modification of the bolster of the present invention;

Figure 13 is a fragmentary View partly in crosssection and partly in side elevation and taken in a plane represented by line l-i 3 of Figure 12 of the drawings;

Figure 14 is.- a view in vertical cross-section taken through a car body anddisclosing in side elevation still another embodiment of the bolster of the present invention;

Figure 15 is a View in cross-section taken in a plane represented by line ll5 of Figure 14 of the drawings; and

Figure 16 is a view in cross-section similar to Figure of the drawings and disclosing an alternative construction of the box-like structure of the central portion of the bolster shown in Figure 15 of the drawings.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings, aniembodiment of the present novel bolster construction is disclosed in a car body having side plates 2 `connected in any suitable manner along their upper edges to top flange angles land reinforcing gusset plates 5, the lower edge of the sides.2 being connected to bottom flange angles [which'angles in combination with plates Z and topangles 4 form the load carrying members of the-car. Each of the bottom plates 8 of the car body extend inwardly from the iiange angle 1 'and terminates in overlapped relation with a center sill cover plate i0 mounted or supported upon a center sill generally designated as i2 and comprising channel members i4 within which is a center-filler casting IS. The center sill channels I4 are provided with a lower cover plate i8. The usual center plate 20 rests on the cover plate and is-secured to center sill by rivets or bolts.

The inside bolster of the present invention comprises a member 22 of truss formation having atop chord 24 and a lower chord 2@ integrally connected by the diagonal'struts 28, 3G, 32 and 34.

' Theends of-themembers 24 and 25 are connected bythe -vertical struts 56 and 38.- At the-ends of the truss member andintegral therewith are providedwing plates or inner side stakes it and 42 extending upwardly therefrom to terminate at their upper ends adjacent the top flange angles 4; The outside members ofthe bolster structure are'of ange formation and are connected, as by means of rivets, or the like, to the side and bottom plates of the, car body.

The-central portion oi the member 22 is provided with a box-like or double websection 44, this'section comprising the spaced webs 46 and 48 terminating at their upper and lowerV edges in the top and bottom chords 24 and 25, respectively, of the truss member. This box-like or double web section further includes the diagonal plate portions 5U and 52 adapted to act as diagonal struts for the truss member and terminating in the upper and lower chords thereof. Each of the webs 46 and 43 is provided with an opening 54,

, between which extends a transverse, wall 516 dening these openings and reinforcing, together with the corner brackets 58, the oppositely spaced webs 46 and 48. l

In the. present embodiment, the central portion 44, which is box-like inconstruction, is formed integral with the remaining portions oi the bolster, and openings 51 are provided in the lower chord member 26 for removal ofthe core used in the formation of this box-like, central portion.

In the present embodiment, diagonal struts 30 and 32 are shown as being in alignment with the inner flanged portions 59 of the substantially triangular shaped wing plates and 42 and the same terminate at their lower end at a common point with the struts 5B and 52 of the box-like section 44 and immediately adjacent side bearings and 62 provided on either side of the center sill l2. Further, the diagonal struts 28 and 34 terminate at a common point in the upper chord 24 with the diagonal struts 39 and 32 and with the inner flanges of the wing plates 40 and 42, respectively, while the lower ends of these struts are cored, as shown at 84, to remove the bulk of the metal at these points and to avoid shrinkage difficulties which otherwise would result from the uniting of a plurality of members as exists at this point.

In the embodiment disclosed in Figures 8 and 9, the bolster of the present invention is oi a construction similar to the construction shown in Figure 1 of the drawings and varies'therefrom in that the diagonal struts 65 and 6G, instead of terminating at their upper ends at a .common point with the diagonal struts Stand 'I6 as shown in the previously described embodiment, extend downwardly and inwardly from the outer corner of the truss member i2 to terminate at a point in ther lower chord of the truss member l2 removed a short distance from the lower endsof the struts t8 and 1G. As in the previously disclosed embodiment, the bolster is provided with a central boxlike section or structure immediately above the center sill i2 and for withstanding and re.- sisting unsymmetrical loadings at this point, as likewise iocal bending andcrushing.

In the embodiment disclosed in Figures lO'and 1l, the truss member 'i4 is of a similar construction as the truss member 12 of Figure 8 of the drawings, and the bolster of this embodiment" varies from that shown in Figure 8 merely in providing separate wing plates 76 adapted to ybe secured tothe` top chord of the truss member 14, as by means of rivets 18, or the like.

In Figures 12 and 13 of the drawings is disclosed a still further embodiment of the present invention, the same varying from the embodiment disclosed in Figures 8 and 10 in that vertical struts 80 are provided in place of the diagonal struts, such as Stand 10, as shown in Figure 8 of the drawings. The vertical struts 80 terminate at their lower ends in a similar manner as the diagonal struts, such as 68 and 'Hl of Figure 8 of the drawings, and immediately adjacent the central box-like section or double web structure 44 and immediately above the side bearings 82, these vertical struts, however, not being in alignment with the inner marginal flange portion 84 of the integral wing plates 86. As in the previous embodiments, however, this arrangement provides. a very suitable construction for effectively withstanding the loadings to which the bolster is subjected.

The embodiment .of the present inventiondisclosed in Figures l4'andv15 similar to the embodiment disclosed in Figure. l of the drawings, with the exception that in this embodiment of the bolster, the core for the central. box-like section or structure 88 is removed through the openings 9G provided.v in. the webs- 92- and 94'@ thereof, In orderto reinforce the vwebs Bland 94 andprovide arigidistructure, these Webs-.are connected by means of the connecting. pieces-.96 formed integraltherewith. Alfter. thecore has been removed vfroxnfwithin .the space between -the 2,012,999 `webs '92 and l94, the openings 90A thereof are closed as by means of plates 98 placed thereover and Welded thereto for preventing accumulation of dirt or other material within this box-like structure 88.

As shown in Figure 16 of the drawings, the webs 92 and 94 may be provided with annular `beads |00 cast or formed integral therewith and adapted to receive the plates |02 therebetween, these plates |02V being suitably welded to the annular projecting beads |00.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited by the exact embodiment of the device shown, Which is merely by way of illustration and not limitation, as various and other forms of the` device will of course be apparent `to those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim.:

1. In a car body construction, the combination of a bolster of truss construction, side bearings for said bolster, said bolster having diagonally disposed struts terminating adjacent said side bearings, a central box-like section including certain of said struts, wing members extending from said bolster, and a center sill for support of said car body.

2. In a car body construction, the combination of a bolster of truss construction, side bearings for said bolster, said bolster having struts terminating adjacent said side bearings, a central box-like section varying in width including certain of said struts, wing members extending from said bolster and having their inner marginal portions in alignment with certain other of said struts, and a center sill for support of saidxcar body.

3. In a car body construction, the combination of a bolster of truss` construction, side bearings for said bolster, said bolster having diagonal struts terminating at a common point adjacent said side bearings, a central box-like section including certain of` said diagonal struts, wing members extending from said bolster, and a `center sill for support of said car body.

4. In a car body construction, the combination of a bolster of truss construction, side bearings `for said bolster, `said bolsterhaving diagonal struts terminating at a common point adjacent said side bearings, a central box-like section including certain of said diagonal struts, wing i members extending from said bolster and having their inner marginal portions in alignment with certain other of said struts, and a center sill for support of said car body.

5. A bolster for a car body, comprising a member having end portions, side bearings therefor,

and a box-like central portion between said end portions and having diagonally disposed strut portions terminating adjacent said side bearings.

6. A bolster for car body, comprising a member having end portions, wing portions extending upwardly therefrom, side bearings for vsaid member, and a box-like central portion between said end portions having diagonally disposed strut portions terminating adjacent said side bearings.

7 A bolster for a car body, comprising a member of truss formation having diagonally disposed struts, a box-like central portion, wing portions having parts thereof in alignment with certain of said struts and side bearings.

8. A bolster for a car body, comprising a member of truss formation having diagonally disposed struts, a box-like central portion, wing portions having parts thereof in alignment with certain of said struts, and side bearings in alignment with said last-named struts.

9. A bolster `for a car body, comprising a member of truss formation having a top and bo-ttom chord, diagonally disposed struts extending between said chords, side bearings associated with said bottom chord, a box-like central portion between said chords and having diagonally disposed strut portions terminating adjacent said side bearings, and wing portions having parts thereofin alignment with certain of said struts.

10. A bolsterl for a car body, comprising a `member of truss formation having a top and bottom chord, diagonally disposed struts extending between said chords, side bearings associated with said bottom chord, a box-like central portion between said chords, said central portion having diagonally disposed strut portions, said strut portions and certain of said struts terminating adjacent said side bearings, and Wing portions having parts thereof in alignment with said last-named struts.

11. A bolsterv for a car body, comprising a member having an upper and lower chord, diagonally disposed struts between said chords, spaced `webs extending between certain of said struts, 

